Slit for folding-machines.



N0 MOD-ELI PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904. H. K. KING. 1

SLIT FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 23. 1904.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INIIENTOB Jamar/1T I TTURNEY.

No. 768,376. 1 PATENTED Amaze, 1904. r H. K. KING.

SLIT FOR FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION [FILED APR. 23, 1904. I NO MODEL. v 2 snnn'rs-snnm 2.

Patented August 23, 1904.

HOWARD K. KING. OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To CHAMBERS BROTHERS COMPANY,

ANIA.

A CORPORATION OF PENN SYL- SLIT FOR FOLDING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,376, dated August 23, 1904,

. Application filed April 23, 1904.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'I-IOWARD K. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new presented to the folding-blade at the proper moment when the sheet is in position under said folding-blade to be operated upon thereby. After the sheet has passed through the folding-rollers, the slit, or one of the margins thereof, is shifted from the operative position, so that the next sheet shall encounter a smooth surface for the purpose hereinafter to be explained. Heretofore it has been the practice in folding-machines to provide in front of the feeding tapes a pair of transverse bars slightly spaced apart to form aslit, over which the sheet is adapted to travel until it assumes the proper position for operating upon, whereupon the folding-blade engages the sheet and carries it down through the slit formed by thetwo transverse bars to the folding-rollers beneath. The disadvantage of this construction is that the front edge of the advancing sheet, due to curling or other cause, is liable to catch in said slit as it starts to travel across the same, and thereby fails to pass over the slit smoothly.

By. the mechanism hereinafter described I provide means whereby the front edge of the advancing sheet, after leaving the feedingtapes and guide-rods positioned therebetween,

encounters a blank or smooth surface of a,

slit member, so as to pass the normal position of the slit without catching therein.

When, however, this sheet assumes the proper position for being operated upon by the folding-blade, this slit member, which is provided with alongitudinal slit. or a member form ing one margin of the slit, is automatically shifted, rocked, or rotated so as to present the slit directly in line with the folding-blade,

Serial No. 204,516. (No model.)

permitting said blade to enter the same and carry the sheet through the slit to the foldingrollers. When the blade is withdrawn and the sheet is taken away by the folding-rollers, the. slit member, or a member forming one margin of the slit, is automatically returned to the initial position, so that the next sheet may pass safely over it.

My invention also provides means whereby the slit is so positioned as to prevent the part of the sheet which has been pasted from encountering the folding-blade as the same is being withdrawn.

I accomplish my object, for example, by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top .view of a part of the folding-machine, showing my improved means. Fig. 2 is an end view in detail of my said means. Fig. 3 is a sectional View, partly diagrammatic, showing the slit member in the inoperative position. Fig. 4' is a similar view showing the slit member in the operative position. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the foldingblade in the act of carrying the sheet. through the slit. Fig. 6 is a similar view'showing the folding-blade in the act of returning after the sheet has been engaged by the folding-rollers.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the similar Views.

Referring to Fig. 3, the roller or slit member 1 is shown in section as provided with the diametrically opposite slits 2 and 3. This slit member is rotatably mounted in advance of the feeding-tapes 1, which are carried by rollers 5 and 6. Guide-rods 7 are usually provided between the feeding-tapes and extend close to the upper periphery of the slit member 1. In the position shown in Fig. 3 the member 1 is so positioned that the slit is turned slightly away from the-direction from which the sheet approaches, so that the sheet. will encounter the solid portion of said member 1 without any danger of the front edge becoming engaged or caught in'said slit, so that said sheet may travel safely. over themember 1 on to theguides 8 until'it assumes the proper position for being operated upon by the fold ing-blade 9.

By the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the member 1 is now reversed into the position shown in Fig. t, so that the blade may operate upon the sheet and carry it through the'slits 2 and 3 to the folding-rollers 10 and 11. This mechanism consists in a cam 12, driven by a shaft 13, operated in the usual way by gears connected with the other operative parts of the machine. This cam 12 operates the rocking or oscillating member 14:, controlled by spring 15, an antifriction-wheel 16 being mounted upon said member 1 1 to engage the periphery of cam 12. Upon the other end of member 14: is provided the sector-gear 17. Upon the shaft of slit member 1 is provided the pinion 18, adapted to cooperate with the sector-gear 17. It Will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 2 that with each rotation of cam 12 the member 141 is caused to oscillate, whereby an oscillatory movement is communicated through the gears 17 and 18 to the slit member 1. By a proper proportioning of the various parts and the configuration or periphery of cam 12 when the wheel 16 is in the most depressed part of cam 12 the slit member 1 is in the position shown in Fig. 3. When the antifrictionwheel 16 leaves the depressed part of cam 12, the slit member 1 is gradually carried into the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When, however, the antifriction-wheel 16 reaches the enlargement 19 of cam 12, the member 1 is given an additional rotative movement into the position shown in Fig. 6. This is for the following purpose.

In Figs. 3, 4t, 5, and 6 I show a usual form of pasting device, which consists of a blade 20, adapted to engage the roller 21 of the paste-fountain, as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 4 I show the paste-blade in engagement with the sheet in applying a line of paste thereto at a moment just before the folding-blade encounters the sheet. In Fig. 5 the paste-blade has been disengaged from the sheet and. the

folding-blade has carried the sheet into the slit of member 1. Before the folding-blade can be withdrawn from the slit member 1 the strip of paste on the sheet has entered said slit, and it is important to maintain it as far from the folding-blade as possible, so that said folding-blade may be withdrawn from the slit without touching said paste. This is accomplished by the additional rotation of member 1, as shown in Fig. 6that is, so as to shift the upper slit 2 into such position as will maintain the side of the sheet to which the paste has been applied and which lies to the right of folding-blade 9 in Fig. 6 as far from said folding-blade as possible.

After the folding-blade has been withdrawn from said slit the antifriction-wheel 16 again encounters the depressed portion of cam 12, which results in the rotating of member] bZLCll to the initial position. (Shown in Fig.

It is obvious that a proper proportioning and coupling of the various parts will result in maintaining the slit member in the required relative positions to suit the relative operations of the cooperating parts, as above described. It will also be obvious that by a suitable coupling of the slit member with the other operative parts of the machine said member may be rotated step by step in the same direction instead of being given the reciprocatory or oscillatory motion above de scribed. It will also be obvious that the slit member may be composite instead of in one piece, as shown in the drawings, in which case the object of my invention may be accomplished by the shifting of one section only thereof in order to cause the margin of the slit against which the front edge of the advancing sheet would be liable to engage to move out of the path of travel of said front edge--that is, so as to present a smooth surface over which said front edge of the advancing sheet may travel without danger of being caughtthe essential feature of my invention being the means for presenting the slit for cooperating with the folding-blade when the sheet is in the desired position and then for withdrawing the margin of the slit from obstructing the path of travel of the next sheet.

It has not been thought necessary to describe the various parts of the folding-machine, as said parts and their mode of operation are all well known in the art.

VVhat I claim is 1. In a folding-machine, the COH'llJiliittlOli of a folding-blade, slit mechanism for cooperating therewith, and means whereby the margin of the slit is brought into position for cooperating with the blade and then withdrawn from obstructing the travel of the front edge of the advancing sheet.

2. In a folding-machine, the combination of a folding-blade, slit mechanism for cooperating therewith, means for moving said mechanism into the operative position with respect to the blade and then moving the margin of the slit so as to withdraw its obstruction to the front edge of the advancing sheet.

3. In a folding-machine, the combination of a folding-blade, slit mechanism for cooperating therewith, and automatic means whereby the margin of the slit is brought into position for cooperating with the blade and then withdrawn from obstructing the travel of the front edge of the advancing sheet.

1. In a folding-machine, the combination of a folding-blade, slit mechanism for cooperating therewith, automatic means for moving said mechanism into the operative position with respect to the blade and then movvancing edge of the sheet.

i ing the margin of the slit so as to withdraw its obstruction to thefront edge of the advancing sheet. H 3

5. In a folding-machine, the combination of a folding-blade, folding-rolls andslit mechanism operating between the rolls and blade for cooperating therewith, automatic means for affecting the slit mechanism after its co: operation with the folding-blade so as to withdraw the obstruction which would normally be offered by the margin of the slit to the ad- 6. In a folding-machine for sheets, the combination of a folding-blade, folding-rolls and slit mechanism operating between the rolls and blade for cooperating therewith, and automatic means for affecting the slit mechanism after its cooperation with the foldingblade to present a smooth surface to the line of travel of the sheet in place of said slit.

7. In a folding-machine for sheets, the com-- bination of a folding-blade, folding-rolls and slit mechanism operating between the rolls and blade for cooperating therewith, and automatic means after such cooperation for substituting in place of the slit when in normal position, a smooth surface for the travel of the sheet.

8. In combination with a folding-machine, a rotative member provided with a slit and a smooth surface adjacent thereto and means controlled by the operative partsof the'folding-machine for causing the rotation'of said rotative slit member.

9. In combination with a folding-machine,

a rotative member provided with a slit transverse the line of movement of the sheet, said rotative member provided with a smooth surface adjacent the slit and means controlled by the operative mechanism of the machine for causing a rocking or rotative movement of said rotative member.

surface adjacent said slit, and means controlled by the operative mechanism of the machine for rotating said member into a position for cooperating with the folding-blade and then into an inoperative position when the foldingblade has been withdrawn.

12. In combination with a folding-machine, a rotative member'provided with a slit parallel with its axis of'rotation having a smooth surface adjacent said slit, and means for rotating the said member first into the operative position so that the folding-blade may enter the slit and then causing a further movementso as to permit thelwithdrawal of the folding blade Without encountering the paste on the sheet.

13. In combination with a folding-machine, a rotative member provided with a slit parallel with its axis of rotation and having a smooth surface adjacent thereto, and automatic means for rotating the slit member so as to present either the smooth surface or the slit in the uppermost position.

14:. In combination with a folding-machine provided with a folding-blade, a rotative mem ber provided with a slit parallel with its axis of movement having a smooth surface adjaber, first, from the position inwhich the smooth surface is presented to the edge of the sheet to the position in which the folding-blade may enter said slit with the sheet; second, into the position in which one side of the sheet is maintained v farther from the folding} blade than the other, and, third, into the initial position after the folding-blade has been withdrawn. i

16. In combination with a folding-machine having a folding-blade, a hollow roller provided with diametrically opposite longitudinally-disposed slits, having itsouter periphery'in approximate alinement with the surface of the traveling sheet, means for main taining. said roller in the position with the slit out of engagement with said sheet until the edge thereof has passed the roller and automatic means for rotating said roller into the position in which the slit may receive the folding-blade when the sheet has assumed the proper position over said roller and then into the further position that shall maintain the pasted part of the sheet away from the folding-blade as the same is being withdrawn. 1

17. In combination with a folding-machine,

a rotative member provided with a slit par allel with its axis of rotation and having a a smooth surface adjacent thereto,and automatic cam operated means forrotating the slit member so as to present either the smooth surface or the slit in the uppermost position.

18. In combination witha fold ing-machine, a rotative member 'provided'with a slit'parallel with, its axis of rotation and having a smooth surface adjacent thereto, and automatic adjustable spring controlled cam op- 10 matie spring-controlled cam-operated means erated means for rotating the slit member so for rotating the slit member so as to present as to present either the smooth surface or the either the smooth surface or the slit in the slit in the uppermost position.

5 uppermost position. ,7 7 1 V 19. Ineomloination Withafolding-maehine, Ahl) klNl' a rotative member provided With a slit par- Vitnesses: allel With its axis of rotation and having a GEORGE XV. \VILeUs,

smooth surface adjacent thereto, and auto- S. H. SoULL. 

